Solutions for Android and iPhone Battery Problems

Posted by Ana Bush on August 13th, 2018

Smartphones have evolved tremendously in a few years. But the batteries have not gone at the same pace and it's easy to run out of battery or not last long enough.

Older people will remember that the mobile phones of yesteryear lasted several days without the need to charge. This causes some to miss them, but they forget that these phones did not have WhatsApp or Facebook, they did not take photos or videos in high definition, they did not allow playing games of great graphics quality, etc.

That current smartphones can do so many things implies that they inevitably consume battery. That is where we arrived and we have assumed it. But over time, a device that lasted a couple of days without charging starts asking for recharging every day or every half day, and that's where the battery problems begin.

In this article, we will see how we can extend the battery of our Android and iPhone smartphones, how to check what battery problems we have in hand and what solutions will solve them.

Tips to extend the life of your battery

Android

Basically, this is what Google recommends to take care of the battery on Android devices that lasts longer without giving you problems:

1. Use the power adapter included in the device.
2. Prevent the device from heating up.
3. Upload your Android when necessary. The official aid specifies that "you do not need to calibrate your battery leaving it to run out completely or charging the device completely".

If your Android heats up habitually, you can do several things to avoid it: stop applications or games that consume more resources until it gets cold; do not expose your phone to direct sunlight or heat sources such as stoves or radiators; Do not leave the device switched on in closed or poorly ventilated spaces; reduces the brightness if it is too high and avoids covers or cases not approved for your device.

iPhone (iOS)

Apple also offers its tips and recommendations to take care of your iPhone's battery. Specific:

1. Update the software of your device (iOS). Apps also tend to improve their performance with updates.
2. Avoid extreme temperatures. Do not expose your iPhone to sunlight or sources of heat.
3. Charge your iPhone without the case. Some cases generate excessive heat when charging.
4. If you are going to keep it for a long time, turn it off at half load.

Check why the battery is consumed so fast

Now that we know how to extend the life of our battery, it is good to know how we can check what happens to our device.

Android

On Android, you can check which apps consume more battery from Settings> Battery. You'll see the list of apps and the percentage of battery used since the last time you loaded it.

By clicking on each app you can see more information and make changes, such as closing it (Settings> Applications> Force stop) or uninstall it if the consumption is excessive and you just use that application.

iPhone (iOS)

In the case of iOS, you can also see the applications that consume more battery. Just go to Settings> Battery and you will see the list of the last 24 hours and the last 7 days indicating whether the consumption is in normal conditions or in the background. In addition, by clicking on the icon in the form of a clock you will see the minutes of use of each app and the minutes of operation in the background.

Solutions to excessive battery consumption

Android

In many cases, the battery of an Android device runs out because of applications that consume power in the background. If it is a recurring case, you should deactivate those functions.

Another solution is to choose Android settings that consume less battery, such as the screen turning off before (Settings> Display> Suspend after), reduce the brightness or disable animated wallpapers.

It also helps to deactivate the LED or notification light (Settings> Notifications> Settings> Use LED) and the vibration and sound of the keyboard.

The official help of Android gives us more solutions, such as keeping updated applications and Android itself or restarting the device.

As a last resort, Google proposes to restore the factory settings of the device. All your data and applications will be deleted, so try to make a backup of your data and settings in Google Drive.

The reset is made from Settings> Personal> Backup> Factory data reset> Reset phone> Delete all.

iPhone (iOS)

The latest version of iOS has a low power mode to reduce battery usage if you have a little left and you cannot load at that time. The function is useful but for specific moments, not to use habitually.

As with Android, there are many ways to extend your iPhone's battery. In addition to keeping iOS and your apps updated, you should uninstall those that you do not use and consume battery, especially games.

Another option is to deactivate the Bluetooth if you do not need it and use the WiFi connection whenever possible since besides saving on your mobile data plan, WiFi consumes less battery than mobile networks.

Another solution is to use the automatic brightness, which lowers it when it is not necessary (Settings> Display and Brightness> Automatic Brightness).

It also helps to disable unnecessary notifications or put your phone in airplane mode at times of the day when you do not expect calls or urgent messages.